X-Men: The Last Stand
| Producers = , | Writers = , | Musicians = John Powell | Cinematographers = Dante Spinotti | Editors = Mark Helfrich, Mark Goldblatt, Julia Wong | Distributors = 20th Century Fox | Running Time = 104 min | Rating = PG-13for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language. | Budget = $210 million | Release Date = May 26, 2006 | Official Website = x-menthelaststand.com | IMDB ID = 0376994 | Marvel Movies = | Previous Film = X2 | Next Film = | Appearances = Featured Characters: * X-Men **Wolverine (Logan) **Storm (Ororo Munroe) **Professor Charles Xavier) **Phoenix (Jean Grey) **Rogue (Marie) **Beast (Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy) **Cyclops (Scott Summers) **Iceman (Bobby Drake) **Kitty Pryde) **Colossus (Peter Rasputin) **Angel (Warren Worthington III) Supporting Characters: *Leech (Jimmy) Villains: *Brotherhood of Mutants **Magneto (Eric Lehnsherr) **Mystique (Raven Darkholme) **Pyro (John Allerdyce) **Juggernaut (Cain Marko) **Multiple Man (Jamie Madrox) **Omega Muties ***Callisto ***Arclight ***Quill ***Psylocke (Elizabeth Braddock) Other Characters: **Spike *Warren Worthington II *Students **Phat **Jubilee **Siryn **Herman Locations: * Earth-2000714 ** New York State *** Xaviers' School for Gifted Youngsters ** California *** San Francisco **** Alcatraz ** Canada ***Alkali Lake Items: * Cyclops' Visor Vehicles: * X-Jet | Plot = A pharmaceutical company announces that it has developed an inoculation to suppress the X-gene that gives mutants their powers and makes them different from humans, offering the cure to any mutant who wants it. While some mutants are interested in the cure, including the X-Men's Rogue, many others are horrified by the announcement. In response to the news, the X-Men's adversary Magneto raises an army, warning his followers that the cure will be forcefully used to eradicate all mutant powers. Cyclops, haunted by the memory of the dead Jean Grey, returns to the place where Jean had sacrificed herself to save the X-Men. Jean appears to Cyclops, and as the two kiss, Jean changes and appears to kill Cyclops. Sensing trouble, Professor Charles Xavier sends Wolverine and Storm to investigate. When they arrive, the two X-Men encounter telekinetically floating rocks, Cyclops' glasses, and an unconscious Jean. Xavier explains that when Jean sacrificed herself, she unleashed the powerful alternate personality she calls "Phoenix". Wolverine is disgusted to learn that Xavier has kept Jean in check telepathically, but when Jean awakens, he realizes she is not the Jean Grey he knew. Jean pleads with Wolverine to kill her, but when he refuses, the Phoenix surfaces and telekinetically slams Wolverine into a wall. She then escapes to her childhood home. Magneto, also aware that Jean is now a powerful mutant, meets Xavier at Jean's house. The two men vie for Jean's loyalty until the Phoenix resurfaces, unleashing her power. She destroys her family's house, disintegrates Xavier, and leaves with Magneto. Following the loss of Xavier, the X-Men regroup and confront Magneto's army, which is attacking the pharmaceutical company. During the fight, Beast injects Magneto with the cure, nullifying his mutant powers. After the battle, the Phoenix emerges and begins to destroy everything around her. Momentarily gaining control, Jean begs Wolverine to save her. Telling Jean he loves her, Wolverine reluctantly kills her with his claws. Despite the X-Men's losses, life goes on. Magneto, now an ordinary man, sits at a chessboard and reaches out toward a metal chess piece that trembles slightly, hinting that the cure may not be as permanent as thought. Following the end credits, Dr. Moira MacTaggert checks on a comatose patient who calls out to her with Xavier's voice. Startled, she replies, "Charles?" | Cast = ]] X-Men The X-Men is a taskforce from the Xavier Institute, charged with protecting both humans and mutants and trying to prevent a war between the two. *' ' as Wolverine / Logan: Logan can heal quickly, a talent which led to the painful implantation of a metal coating on his bones and metal claws that emerge from each forearm. He mourns Jean Grey, with whom he is in love. *' ' as Storm / Ororo Munroe: She can control the weather and fly. *' ' as Professor Charles Xavier: The founder of the Xavier Institute, with powerful telepathic powers. *' ' as Phoenix / Jean Grey: A member of the X-Men who sacrificed herself to save her comrades. She possesses great telekinetic and telepathic powers which threaten to consume her. *' ' as Rogue / Marie:A runaway mutant who has found a home at Xavier's school and love with Bobby Drake. When she touches someone, she steals their memories, their powers, and, if not careful, their life. *' ' as Beast / Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy: A former student of Xavier's School who is now the Secretary of Mutant Affairs in the U.S. government. The Beast is covered in blue fur and has a genius level I.Q., and heightened strength and agility. *' ' as Cyclops / Scott Summers: The X-Men's field leader, who is devastated by the death of Jean Grey. He emits powerful energy blasts from his eyes. *' ' as Iceman / Bobby Drake:He can control the temperature of the moisture in the air around him to create constructs of ice or blasts of cold. *' ' as Kitty Pryde : She can "phase" through objects, which allows her to walk through walls and float through floors. *' ' as Colossus / Peter Rasputin : He can transform his skin into steel. *' ' as Angel / Warren Worthington III: He has angelic wings which allow him to fly. Brotherhood of Mutants , Quill, Magneto, Multiple Man, Callisto, Pyro, Arclight, Dark Phoenix ]] *' ' as Magneto / Eric Lehnsherr: Master of magnetism, Holocaust survivor, and would-be conquerer, Magneto wages war against humanity in the name of mutant superiority, a goal that often pits him against his old friend Charles Xavier. *' ' as Mystique / Raven Darkholme: Magneto's blue-skinned right-hand woman Mystique can shapeshift to appear as another person and fight with incredible agility and strength. *' ' as Pyro / John Allerdyce: Former Xavier Institute student Pyro can manipulate fire but cannot create it. He holds a grudge against his former friend Bobby Drake. *' ' as Juggernaut / Cain Marko: The Juggernaut is a new recruit to the Brotherhood. When he builds momentum, it is nearly impossible to stop him. *' ' as Callisto: She possesses superhuman speed and can sense the power levels of mutants. *' ' as Multiple Man / Jamie Madrox: Madrox can split himself into multiple copies of himself. He is a former criminal who joins the Brotherhoood upon being released by them. Other Characters *' ' as Warren Worthington II: He is the Head of Worthington Labs, the corporation developing the cure. He is also Angel's father and wants to rid his son of his mutant abilities. *' ' as Leech / Jimmy: A mutant boy whose power cancels the powers of nearby mutants. His DNA is the basis for the cure. Minor/Cameo Appearances *' ' and as Phat *' ' as Spike *' ' as Jubilee *' ' as Siryn *' ' as Herman | Notes = X-Men: The Last Stand is the third film adaptation of the X-Men superhero comic books. It was directed by The movie script was written by Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. The previous two movies were X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003). The film was released May 26, 2006 in the United States and Canada, and one or two days earlier in approximately 22 other countries. The movie revolves around a "mutant cure" that causes serious repercussions among mutants and humans, and on the mysterious resurrection of Jean Grey, who appeared to have died in X2. The film is loosely based on two X-Men comic book story arcs: writer Chris Claremont's & artist John Byrne's "Dark Phoenix Saga" in The Uncanny X-Men (1980), and writer Joss Whedon's six-issue "Gifted" arc in Astonishing X-Men (2004). Development * - X-Men Last Stand]] , the director of the first two X-Men films, left the project during preproduction in order to direct the film Superman Returns. He was joined by X2 screenwriters and and composer/editor John Ottman. Matthew Vaughn was hired as the new director for the project. He cast as the Beast and as the Juggernaut, but family issues reportedly led him to withdraw before shooting began. Vaughn was replaced by Singer's friend Brett Ratner , who was among those originally considered to direct the first film — and coincidentally was considered by Warner Brothers to direct the 2006 Superman project before it evolved into Superman Returns. * On June 13, 2005, a review of an incomplete early draft of the screenplay posted by Drew McWeeny from Ain't It Cool News sparked controversy from fans, due to certain main characters' storylines; however, that draft was the very first of over two-dozen drafts the film went through and has had numerous changes happen to the storylines. Production * X-Men: The Last Stand began shooting in August 2005 and ended in January 2006. Much of X-Men: The Last Stand was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. According to associate producer Dave Gordon, "This is the biggest production ever filmed in Canada. It used to be X2, now it's X3." The final battle between the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants was originally scripted to take place in Washington, D.C., but Ratner opted to change the location. * The film had some interesting production issues. A replica of a section of the Golden Gate Bridge was built for one sequence originally in the middle of the movie, but Ratner decided it would create a more dramatic climax if moved to the end. 65+ year old actors Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen had their faces completely "de-aged" by complex keyframing (no CGI elements were used, only photographed skin/bone structures). A technique called "digital skin-grafting" was employed to make them look 20 years younger in the first scene flashback. * Angel's wings were initially too heavy for , and were remade from foam. * Many of the actors performed some of their own stunts. The whirlwind wire-stunt performed by during one fight scene reportedly caused Berry to become so nauseated that she vomited. The crew actually had to bring in buckets for her before shooting her scenes. Casting ]] Many of the cast members from the previous two X-Men films returned, the major exceptions being (Nightcrawler) and (Lady Deathstrike) from X2, who both signed two-film contracts (Wolverine kills Hu's character in the second film). (Cyclops) also appeared in The Last Stand, despite reported scheduling conflicts with the June 2006 movie Superman Returns. stated during interviews for X2 that she would not return as Storm in the third film unless the character had a significant presence comparable to the comic-book version. Brett Ratner also felt Storm required a larger role and there was little difficulty reaching an agreement. New cast members portraying X-Men include veteran TV actor (Beast), (Angel), and (Kitty Pryde, the third actress to play the character). New cast members portraying the Brotherhood of Mutants include (Multiple Man, whose name appears in Stryker's files in X2), former British footballer (Juggernaut), (Callisto), (Kid Omega), (Psylocke), and (Arclight, credited as simply Omahyra). The character Dr. Moira MacTaggert, who appears in the film, is not listed in the official press notes' cast list and goes uncredited in the finished film. She is played by actress . Alan Cumming was reportedly uncomfortable with the long hours he had to take with the Nightcrawler makeup, but still planned to return for X-Men: The Last Stand. However, the part for Nightcrawler was so minimal, he felt it was not worth it to go through the long and costly make up process when he was barely in the film, and the character was cut. He did agree, however, to do voice work for the character for the video game based on the film. The sergeant directing defensive preparations before the Brotherhood assaults Alcatraz Island is played by Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey, a former U.S. Marine Corps non-commissioned officer who became a military adviser for films and frequent military character actor. X-Men co-creator Stan Lee and writer Chris Claremont have cameos in the film's opening scene as neighbors in Jean Grey's old neighborhood. Respectively, they are credited as "Waterhose man" and "Lawnmower man". Filmmakers considered using the Beast character since the first X-Men movie, but budget constraints ruled him out; however, is identified as Hank McCoy when he appears on a television screen in a cameo role in X2. Reception X-Men: The Last Stand grossed $45.5 million domestically for the third-highest opening day after Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($55 million) and Revenge of the Sith ($50 million). It is ranked fourth among film debuts having generated an estimated $122.9 million domestically during its four-day Memorial Day opening weekend. The website The Numbers notes that the film's weekend gross "equals the record for the fewest number of days taken to earn $100 million, joining four other movies that achieved the feat in three days." However, the film suffered a significant drop of 66.9% in its second weekend,when its box office take fell to $34.0 million. As of July 4, 2006, the film has grossed $230 million in North America (highest of 2006) and $433.4 million globally (3rd highest of 2006). It is also the 5th highest grossing comic book adaptation of all time, and the highest grossing of the X-Men series. It became the first film of 2006, and the 67th film in history, to pass the $200 million mark at the North American box office on the weekend of June 9, 2006. And it is the first X-Men movie to pass 200 million outside of the United States. X-Men: The Last Stand is one of the few third installments in a series that out grossed its predecessors, Return of the King being another example. Reviews of the film have generally been mixed, with the film review website Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a 57% approval rating. The film review aggregate site Metacritic also reported mixed reviews with a score of 58/100. Ebert & Roeper gave the film two thumbs up, with Ebert stating "I liked the action, I liked the absurdity, I liked the incongruous use and misuse of mutant powers, and I especially liked the way it introduces all of those political issues and lets them fight it out with the special effects." Some film critics, however, considered the third film to be of lesser quality than the previous two. Justin Chang from Variety said the film is "a wham-bam sequel noticeably lacking in the pop gravitas, moody atmospherics and emotional weight that made the first two Marvel comicbook sic adaptations so rousingly successful." Frank Lovece of Film Journal International said, "A risk-taking script with genuine consequences elevates this ... above the lackluster direction of Brett Ratner, whose competent mechanics move the story efficiently but with very little soul." Lawrence Toppman of The Charlotte Observer, said, "Director Brett Ratner can't make chicken a la king out of chicken droppings, and that's what writers Simon Kinberg (XXX: State of the Union) and Zak Penn (Elektra) supply." Possible sequels and spin-offs Patrick Stewart and Halle Berry said that if the movie fares well, the franchise will continue. The final scenes leave that possibility open. Vinnie Jones said that when contracting for his role as the Juggernaut, he signed for three movies, although this is standard procedure on planned franchise projects. The final scene of Magneto, in which he is able to use his powers to move the chess piece, as well as the coda after the credits where Xavier speaks to Moira MacTaggert, are considered to be hints for a sequel. However they were not part of the script . A Wolverine spin-off and a Magneto spin-off have been announced and are in the scripting stages. Another possible movie based on the character of Emma Frost — a mutant telepath who can transform her skin into an organic diamond substance and X-Men comics regular — is also being developed. Three Kings director David O. Russell was contacted about creating a story for the character. A possible film based on the students at the school has also been mentioned. Executive producer stated in an interview that Marvel would take its time to decide what to do with future X-Men films, but is focusing on the spin-offs. Fox Films Entertainment Chairman Tom Rothman stated The Last Stand is the end of a trilogy, but not necessarily the end of the X-Men film series: "These three movies work as a trilogy. These characters in this relationship, it's the culmination of that saga. It's the culmination and the resolution of those relationships laid out in the first two movies". Earlier, in a February 14, 2006 interview, Ratner said, "We wanted to make sure the audiences knew that this was a trilogy. Even though they weren't made together like Lord of the Rings, this is really closure for the X-Men series...This is the last stand for sure". In the same interview, a 20th Century Fox spokesperson confirmed The Last Stand is the final foreseeable installment for the X-Men team. Brett Ratner has expressed wishes to "swap" directorial duties with Bryan Singer for future X-Men and Superman movies. Adaptations Novelization The novelization of the film, written by comic book writer Chris Claremont, was released on May 16, 2006. The novelization of the movie differs significantly from the film. | Trivia = | Links = * X-Men: The Official Game * * X-Men: MySpace Profile * TheXverse.com - X-Men fan site * XMenfilms.net - X-Men fan site }}